Gary's Mentor Group - Re-OPENED for Training (Page 82)

Dang Dorm!

Glad you're ok, and hope you aren't too sore today.

Dorm Ouch! Hope you mend fast.

Rode to work today for first time. Just over 17 miles, 70 degrees this morning and 93 coming home. Probably won't do that again soon, exhausted.

That is hot DW!  I ran 4 miles today over lunch and it was 98.  And that is supposed to be the coolest it's going to be all the way through Sunday.  Triple digits the next 6 days.

I plan on attempting the bike commute again tomorrow morning.

10pm and still 103 degrees and high humidity.

Hard to get anything done around here right now.

Hey all!
Work just has me swamped and along with getting up early in the mornings to get my TDF rides in just very little time to post.  I will be glad when the challenge is over, I definitely over committed.  Will get a lot of rides and a decent amount of time on the bike this month.  Swimming is going okay although my volume sucks.  Running isn't too bad but getting used to running in the heat/humidity.

House painters have been trying to get the house painted but we have had rain every day.  In fact, it just started raining again.  If anyone needs rain they can have ours!

Its been awhile since I have posted a question to the group so here goes:

Do you take or plan to take a break from workouts during the off season?  I don't mean a day or two, more like a week to a few weeks.

Hey Gang.  Just started a 15 week Marathon Training program for the Grand Rapids Marathon on October 21st.  I am doing the FIRST program.  3 runs a week.  High intensity. 2-3 crosstraining days a week.

Did my first Speedwork this morning and it felt great.  Have a 15 mile run on Satuurday. Paces are brutal, but this is the plan I used for my first Mary in 2009 and the results were pretty good.  Shooting for sub 3:40 this time around.

Hope everyone is staying cool.  Hydrate well and don't forget the sunscreen.

Good luck Left on the Mary training.

I just got confirmed today that I have 6 weeks of travel coming up for work. Messes up my Tri and 5k planned for August & my sprint in early October as I will be out of town.   Going to add a 10k in October if I can keep my training up while traveling. Now just looking forward to South Beach TRi next April.

Smart and witty saying goes here.

Hey all!

Tried a long ride in this morning and about 20 something miles into it the rains came.  Yesterday we got a ton of rain in a short period of time so I headed in.  Ended up with 28 miles, should have gotten on the trainer but me and the trainer just aren't friends right now.  Will try to get one more ride in tomorrow for the TDF challenge.  Alas I have hit my goal sessions (actually beat it) but have not hit my miles and probably won't. 

Mike, I got the notification that you have a HIM this weekend.  I will have to search thru the thread to see if you are actually racing this weekend. If so, good luck!

Gary ... first TDF challenge for me too and I won't make my goal either.  Thunder, lightning and rain this Thursday and Friday coupled with last Sunday's crash did me in.  My left leg was swollen, black and blue this morning ... I guess some residual from the crash finally crept in.  My goal was "time" and looks like I'll finish at 87% - 88% ... CRAP! 

Ms. Shelly on the other hand is 100% ... WootWoot - great job Shelly!!

Like you, I'll be glad when this is over with as I'd like to get back to the other sides of training ... running and swimming.

Well, I felt bad about not hitting 100% so put in another 10 miles and hit 100%.  Granted its based upon me passing my # of sessions not number of miles.  On the other hand I thought the competition ended Sunday.  It actually ends Monday so I can get one more ride in on Monday to get my miles up.

Tomorrow is a longish run (well longish for me, 7 miles) and then six hours on the road taking DD to spend a few days at my SIL's. 

Gary ... I thought the challenge ended today - July 22nd - am I wrong?  If it ends on Monday then I have a shot at making 100%.

Hey group.

How is everyone's training going.  Any racers coming up?  I did my longest run in 14 months on Saturday, 15 miles, and it felt pretty good.  Didn't hurt that it was 62 with a breeze.  So much better than 90.  My next race planned is not until October 21st.  I may sneak in a 5k or two between just to stay sharp.  

I got a job in Taupo, New Zealand starting in January for 6 months.  Will bring the whole family and get the kids in school and see a bit of NZ, Australia and SE Asia.  i have already been looking at inexpensive road bikes in the area.  I do not want to spend the $ to ship mine, but I cannot go that long without riding.  IM NZ is in Taupo in March, but I will never have enough time in the saddle to do it.  I think I will volunteer and maybe do a Splash N' Dash 500M/5k race during the week.  

Hope everyone is having fun.

Got a 7 mile run in yesterday and today is an SRD.  Had to put down one of our dogs yesterday.  15 yr old Collie and her quality of life had degraded to the point it was time.  Kids are devastated as they knew her their entire life.

SRD for me and enjoying it.

Mike - congrats on the race, looking forward to the RR.

Left - very cool!  Should be a great experience

Dorm - double check but I believe the end date is July 23rd.  As it is the next couple of weeks I am going to focus on swimming and running.

Gary sorry about the dog.  We had an 18 year-old mutt that we should have put down last winter.  She wandered off blind and deaf and got hit and killed by a car.  It was devastating and seemed to demean her life to have died is such a way.  The kids still think she just died naturally, thank goodness. 

Good for you as a dog owner to do the right thing when you knew it was time.  Wish we could do that for our human loved ones.

Thanks, appreciate the kind words.  The good thing about having a wife that is a Vet is that your animals tend to live long, healthy lives.  The bad part is that because you have them so long letting them go is pretty hard.

Gary,

Very sorry to hear about your pooch.  They really are part of the family.

It's been a good week, despite record heat downtown of 103-106 each day.  At least the humidity has been lower than what is typical.

4.5 mile run on Monday and a 3 mile run yesterday.  Bike commuted to work today.  11.7 on the way in, and 11.2 on the way back.  Not sure how that worked out, but I'm guessing from when I caught a Garmin satellite.  Even got an uptempo 3 mile run in over lunch today in 25:30.

Rest day tomorrow, and have a bike commute and run planned for Friday.

I did a terrible job for the month of July (mostly because I was vacationing) keeping logs to date.  Starting this week I got back on my game with that.

As far as your question goes Gary, I don't plan on taking any time off in the offseason.  I know me too well.  If I take it off, I likely won't restart.  My training has never been super intense and will likely stay the same.  4-5 lunch runs/week, couple of long rides/week, and swim when I can.

Debating on the Kansas City Half-Marathon that's coming up in Sept or Oct.  Put a note on my outlook for when to register.  Still have that goal of a HIM next season, so may as well put in some work.

Gary,

    I saw your report from last year's race for Austin 70.3. Can I pick your brain?  I could use your advice.

Do you ever upload your routes to BT, and what kind of average grade elevation to get for your average training ride?

   I do not have a lot of the fancy computer toys, just an Iphone. I have had several people tell me at the LBS's I have visited tell me that Austin's hills are not that bad.  But -  I have mapped out the Longhorn this year using BT, as well as a few of my training rides.   The longhorn shows a 5% grade compared to an average 1% for my training rides around DFW.  This is my first HIM, so the difference that BT is showing has me a little nervous. 

Any advice would be appreciated. 

FYI, for the group.  Tracy PM'ed me and responded via PM.  If you are interested in the info please let me know.

Workouts are going okay but still not a lot of swimming.  Reviewing a waterproof MP3 player which is interesting.  More details to come.   Heading off for drinks with my staff.  Talk to you all later!